Two bodies pulled from Poudre River on Monday believed to be Greeley boy and uncle

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Authorities recovered two bodies, believed to be a Greeley boy and his uncle, from the Poudre River on Monday after witnesses said the boy fell into the river while fishing and his uncle jumped in after him.

Shortly after noon, Larimer County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a 14-year-old boy who fell into the river while fishing in the Poudre Canyon, about 12 miles west of Ted’s Place, according to a sheriff’s department news release.

Responders later learned from witnesses that the boy’s 38-year-old uncle jumped in to rescue him, the release said. The uncle was pulled unconscious from the river a couple of miles downstream and airlifted to a local hospital in critical condition.

The Fort Collins Coloradoan reported that the two were seen holding on to each other for about 1.5 miles as the current carried them downstream before becoming separated. Two people along the shoreline were able to pull the uncle out at Diamond Rock Picnic Area. It was the last place the boy was seen, according to the Coloradoan.

Medical personnel informed authorities that the uncle did not recover and died Monday evening, according to the release.

After authorities searched for three hours, a kayaker found a body about eight miles downstream from the Ouzel Campground, where the boy and his uncle fell into the river, the release said.

The sheriff’s office hasn’t released the name of the boy and his uncle, but said in a release the family that lost the two victims resides in the Greeley area. The sheriff’s office said they had concluded their search.

The Larimer County Coroner’s Office said in the release it will conduct autopsies to determine the cause of the two deaths and will release further information as it is available.